10.26.2005

I spoke with 'Mugsy' a few times when the studio was in the same office as my newspaper, and other times when I was a guest on the Public Service shows. He was an incredibly talented young man. He went where he went on his own terms.

I remember him once telling a story about a speeding ticket and when he showed it to someone he had known for a long time, the person said, "THAT'S your REAL name?"

Yes, he and his crew got in trouble with the Nutley cops while shooting a PIRATES show in Nicol's Park on Bloomfield Avenue near the studio.

I will always remember him fondly.

(10/26/05) Star-Ledger:

CRAIG MUGSY CALAM, 56, Cable Access Personality

Craig D. Mugsy Calam, 56, of Hackensack, an actor and producer, died of cancer yesterday in Nutley.A service will be at 8 o'clock tommorrow night in the Kiernan Funeral Home, 101 Union Ave., Belleville.

Mr. Calam was a longtime cast member of The Uncle Floyd Show on local access cable television, as well as creator of The 11th Hour and After Hours television programs.He was producer and director ofnumerous television and Internet productions.

During his career, Mr. Calam worked with the musicians Les Paul, The Ramones, The Smithereens, and Cindi Lauper, as well as The Vivino Brothers, Cousin Brucie and other celebrities.Born in New Jersey, Mr. Calam lived in Hackensack for many years. Surviving is a son, Hugo.

I was reminded of this cartoon recently by who knows what.

After I had blurted it out, I had to explain that it was from an old Far Side calendar by Garry Larsen. It was a cocktail party for wart hogs and one female wart hog says to another about about a third across the room, he thinks he's God's gift to wart hogs.

The calendar was from 1984, or maybe 1985 and I was working at Panasonic at the time. I believe I was a copywriter for technical manuals or trade ads.

Any way, one of the other calendar page months was a couple of kids running after the Liver AND Onions truck - like it was an ice cream truck on a summer day. My colleague Diana, with the accent on the second A, said she loves liver and onions.

You laugh. I can remember stuff from 21 years ago, but I can't remember to take out the empty pizza box after dinner!

"Breaking Free : A Woman's journey " retraces the life of Rosa, a young girl from Cuggiono, Italy, who follows her husband to the iron mines of Missouri and eventually escapes to Chicago where she finds shelter at the Commons.

Oct. 26, PBS"Breaking Free: A Woman's Journey."Check Local Listings for time in your area

She becomes famous for her storytelling and eventually meets Marie Hall Ets, a social worker who for many years records Rosa's life.

The book details the daily life in Cuggiono and actually in many parts of Lombardy in the late 1800s as seen through the eyes of a young woman. In the evenings people gathered in the stables to find some warmth around the animals and told incredible stories.Rosa listened and eventually retold them at the Commons. Marie Hall Ets also hears the troubled story of her life in the mining camps of Missouri, her escape from the tyrant husband to Chicago where she experiences more difficulties. At the end, though, Rosa is peaceful with her inner religious strength and the powerful feeling of the people who have learned not to be afraid.

= = = = =

Per PBS:

In the world they left behind, women were second-class citizens, dominated by law and custom by men. Some feared for their lives. Others were searching for new opportunities.

Guatemala native Rodi Alvarado fled after a decade of beatings by her husband. Her petition for political asylum may become a landmark case. If she is granted asylum, she will be the first woman in America to win a case of precedential value.

Rosa Cavalleri left Italy in 1887, a simple woman married to a brutal husband. Today, she is celebrated in her home town as a woman who challenged tradition, who broke away and made a new life for herself in America.

Ferdows Naficy and her two daughters, Mahnaz and Farah became independent women in America. Their story of why and how they left Iran is a chilling, instructive tale of what it takes to break free.

10.21.2005

I checked out the next time that psychic medium, author and lecturer, John Edward is going to be in New Jersey.

For the Sunday, Nov. 13 event in Edison, tickets are $175.

I think that’s just to be in the “Gallery Like Group.”

I knew someone who went to one of these things. She was hoping to hear from her mother. Heck, she even wore a bright orange blouse so her Ma could spot her easier through the ether. Nothing happened for her at the event, but when she got home her pressure cooker exploded. She figures that was her mother yelling at her for being so gullible.

Perhaps I’ll wait and count them when I get to heaven (if that’s where I’m going?) Or they can reach me through my local contact, no?

Personally, I get a kick out of those TV shows where someone touches someone or something and sees stuff as it was or might come to pass.

The touch is a wonderful thing.

(Years ago I heard anecdotal evidence that the touch is stronger than a professional opinion. Supposedly, a psychiatrist told a long-time patient to do something, and when he followed up to ask if she had, she said, no, because her hair dresser said not to. The logic was that since her hairdresser touched her she had a closer connection to him. You wanna believe, believe, no believe, no believe.)

Allison Dubois in Medium sees dead people & talks to them. She has to ask others whether or not they can see the people around her - so she's sure if they are spirits or not. She dreams a lot. Fortunately, her dreams help her solve that week's police case.

Remember the pet psychic? Sonya Fitzpatrick? She’ll do a private half-hour phone reading with your pet for only $300. Or you can get a gift certificate for that hard-to-please someone or pet in your life.

Maybe you should just take your dog to John Edward’s seminar at that hotel?

Can the people around me hear my thoughts? I wonder about this as I commute.

The lady with the short pony tail talking the whole PATH ride to the nerdy guy with a baseball cap, can either one of them hear what I’m thinking?

Or do they have to be dead?

I hear sounds from someone who is not speaking.

The sound is coming to me over the music in my headphones from across the PATH car.

With the expiration of the Nov. crude contract, Nymex crude futures flipped back into contango for the first time since Katrina hit, suggesting worries about short-term supply tightness have evaporated.

Crude futures were in contango, pricing progressively higher in the outer months, through most of the year as inventories continued to grow, but moved into "backwardation" Aug. 29, the day Katrina made landfall after tearing through the Gulf of Mexico.

Folksinger Don McLean was on TV the other night talking about it was 34 years ago his hit song American Pie came out and took over the radio.Heck. I still listen to it today. Any time you drift into or out of the song, whatever verse you're in makes you stop and think. It's like that Billy Joel song We Didn't Start The Fire. Just that American Pie is easier to sing along with. We've had more time to nearly learn the words. McLean says he's got a new record coming out. Now that I see his web site, I remember the new CD is called Don McLean Rearview Mirror and was released Oct. 11.According to the song list, he sings El Paso. I wonder if it's his own song or Marty Robbins' song? McLean has a cd called Don McLean Sings Marty Robbins, so I guess that answers that question.He might have said something about an anniversary issue of American Pie. But he wouldn't (and never has done so, either) speculate on what the song's lyrics are about.What song was on the flip side of the 45 record?

10.17.2005

"With proper care, your totes umbrella should provide a lifetime of durable, reliable protection ... if this umbrella should prove to be defective in materials or workmanship, or fails to function properly we will gladly replace it."

So, makes me wonder how long is the lifetime of an umbrella?

Or do they mean MY lifetime?

Does anyone who ever bought a Totes umbrella ever return one for replacement?

Did you know that Shelia is haunting someone, she's back and talking scary to a woman locked on the roof with candles. And Jack Abbott is still in his conniving ways.

There was a lady all dolled up and smoking a cigar and playing poker with the guys. It turned out she was the mother of the guy who skipped bail on the hit and run and even though he was proven innocent, he still has to go back to face the judge for skipping bail.

When she heard that her little boy was going to have to go back to court, the Poker Mom went to square off with his pretty lady lawyer - who happened to be working at her laptop in the very same bar (her partner, the honoree at the bachelor party - complimented her on adding to her billing hours at that time of night) but the son dragged his ma out to explain that he skipped bail whether or not he was innocent - which he was - and has to face the music in court.

Meanwhile, Jack Abbott is working the health club regulars and putting ideas in their heads. He must be up to something, you know, in good-looking George Hamilton kind of way.

After that, well, I ran out of food so we'll have to wait til the next time I'm home in the middle of day. I can't even remember the name of the show I'm watching.

Years ago, when I was on vacation in Marco Island, Fla., we'd retreat to the room at the hottest part of the day and on TV that was when Victor was hiding out on the farm run by a blind blond named Hope. Everybody back home thought Victor was dead because they found his wallet without him. I think he married blind Hope who didn't know he was the richest man in what ever town he was from. I don't know what ever happened to blind Hope and Victor. I haven't seen her on the show in years.

Victor, you guys may recall, was the head German on RAT PATROL in the 60s TV series. He used a German name in the screen credits then.

My horoscope today, as published by Holiday Mathis in the Star Ledger, says:

"Seriousness is (seriously) overrated. What you need is a bit of ridiculousness to put everything back in the proper perspective. Listen to the score from a musical, or dance around in your funny-foot pajamas."

I've never seen anything as ridiculous as these kill-the-ump letters, especially the one yelling at ME for writing the article that appeared five years ago. You'd think these fanatical fans could read a by-line. I guess this must be what they mean by baseball fever, huh?

Anyway, who knew there were more than a half-dozen St. Louis fans out there? The last time I saw that team play Bob Gibson was pitching and they beat the Yanks for the series in the mid-sixties.

10.14.2005

They got her through the North Shore Animal League in Long Island. The new dog is about 2 - a shepherd/Lab/whatever mix. The family already had one dog. But they seemed to get along fine.The new dog doesn't have a name yet.

The family's son wants to call her Derek Jeter or Hurricane Dog but that boy is only 5.

10.11.2005

As we get to the annual celebration of Columbus day in America, a lot of people think that gives them an open season on berating all of the explorer's accomplishments.

Sadly, many Americans of Italian descent, many with similar backgrounds to me, have yet to research their own culture and heritage.

If given the chance to research in a library or watch a rerun of The Godfather trilogy, we eat our young.

No, not all of us. There are service groups in the country that spread and preserve the great Italian culture and strive to make Italian Americans aware of this great history.

Here's an email I got from someone trying to sell me something, although I never figured out how what they are selling had anything to do with what it is I do.

The company is tied to an acting star from the HBO cable network about the lowest of the low who happen to be represented by people with a similar ethnic background to me.

Anyone stupid enough to watch that show should have to live with what they believe in their everyday lives.

As for the people who work on it and are creative and become actors because of it ... sheesh!

Just a quick note to say hello and to wish you well!

Modern Renaissance is a Fine Arts Publisher that can reproduce youroriginal artwork or photographs on canvas or watercolor paper. Co-Owned by FedericoCastelluccio, "Furio" of HBO's "The Sopranos" now offers a giclee printingservice which produces astounding quality at a modest price to you.

If you are interested, please feel free to call or visit our web sites.

(We Are In The Process Of Updating Our Web Sites With PricingInformation. In TheMeantime, Individual Quotes Will Be E/Mailed To You)Take Care,Gail Ferris

================How can anyone pretending to be familiar with my work actually send me THAT letter?================You can turn it around if you want to. You have to want to.================FIRST PUBLIC SCREENING OF “ANTI-ITALIANISM: DISCRIMINATION AND DEFAMATION INTHE HISTORY OF ITALIAN AMERICANS”

All major Italian-American national and regional organizations will gather together, 513 years after Christopher Columbus discovered the American continents, to rediscover themselves and to move forward.New Jersey – Seton Hall University is pleased to invite the Italian American community to the first public screening of the short film “Anti-Italianism: Discrimination and Defamation in the History of Italian Americans,” directed and produced by Paul Budline for the Charles and Joan Alberto Italian Studies Institute.

The screening will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2005, at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, Walsh Library: Beck Room A/B.

“Anti-Italianism: Discrimination and Defamation in the History of Italian Americans,” is a 30-minute documentary filmed in December 2004 at an international conference organized by the Alberto Italian Studies Institute of Seton Hall University.

The film, featuring Joe Piscopo and many others, presents incisive discussions of a history of discrimination that included lynching and racial bigotry, as well as the social and psychological effects of present-day stereotyping in the media.

The film is a major step forward in creating greater awareness and understanding of how Italians have been perceived in the United States historically and of the obstacles they have overcome.

In American history, Italian immigrants experienced many forms of discrimination that were distinct from the traditional cases of prejudice against newcomers, and were fueled by different motivations and manifestations.

Notwithstanding their documented accomplishments in American society, ItalianAmericans continue to experience ethnic slurs and episodes of violence.

“Many Italians have thought that the best thing is simply ignore this and to try to get along in American society” says William Connell, Executive Producer of the documentary and organizer of the 2004 conference, “but from my perspective as ahistorian, it seems that this tolerance just permits these phenomena to continue, while it has also resulted in a great deal of ignorance about the extent of thisimportant history and the unfortunate ways in which it survives today.”

"Anti-Italianism” also documents in an engaging way the ongoing efforts of Italian Americans to confront media and Hollywood stereotyping.

With the help of the Anti-Bias Committee of UNICO National under the leadership of Manny Alfano and the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Commission, the Alberto Institute this past year was able to hold the first major academic conference devoted to the history of discrimination against Italian Americans.

On this occasion Charles and Joan Alberto will be presented with the Mille Grazie Award of UNICO National's Anti-Bias Committee.

To recognize its sponsors and supporters, the Alberto Institute will be presenting UNICO with 500 copies of the DVD for distribution to chapters and members.

Also, 500 copies will go to the New Jersey Italian and Italian-American Heritage Commission, in appreciation of their support. The copies will be distributed to each school district in the State of New Jersey.

Additional gifts will be presented to Order of Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and to the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

The DVD is directed and produced by Emmy award-winning Paul Budline for the Charles and Joan Alberto Italian Studies Institute at Seton Hall University. Executive Producer: William J. Connell.

10.06.2005

The 1945 film made based on the writings of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, The Story of G.I. Joe, starring Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum, will air on the Turner Classic Movies cable channel on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., and on Nov. 11 at 8 a.m.

10.05.2005

NUTLEY, N.J. -- The Nutley Hall of Fame recently announced the names of 10 persons who will be inducted in a Sunday afternoon ceremony Nov. 20 at the Public Library.

The inductees include four doctors, two Pulitzer Prize winners, an artist and two well-known sports personalities.

The selections were made by a panel of judges who reviewed hundreds of pages of material gathered over the past eight months.

The selections were limited to persons “who through significant achievement on a statewide, national, or international level, have distinguished themselves and made their association with Nutley a matter of pride for the community.”

Additionally, candidates must have been born in Nutley, or be a graduate of Nutley High School, or a resident of Nutley for a minimum of 10 years.

Inductees included:

Francis Goodrich (1890-1984) was born in Belleville, moved to Nutley at the age of two and grew up in the large family home at 187 Nutley Avenue.

It was a home where she would later marry Albert Hackett.

The couple wrote dozens of plays and scripts for Hollywood films.

The first play they competed together, “Up Pops the Devil,” was the first staged production of the Nutley Little Theatre on Nov. 23, 1934.

Francis and Albert became well know for their screenplays on the three “Thin Man” films staring Myrna Loy and William Powell, and on Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

But Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s crowning achievement came as playwrights on ”The Diary of Anne Frank” for which they won the Pulitzer Prize.

Another Pulizter Prize winner from town:

A graduate of Nutley High School, Paul Goldberger headed for Yale University, undecided whether he wanted to become an architect or continue with his very early success as a journalist.

While a freshman at Yale, his first piece submitted to the New York Times was published as a cover story in its Sunday magazine.

Three years later with a Yale degree in hand, Paul became the architecture critic for The Times.

In 1990 he was named cultural news editor and in 1994 he became the newspaper’s chief cultural correspondent.

Paul Goldberger won a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his architecture criticism, the highest award in journalism.

A Legacy of Achievement is the story of the Italians who settled in New Jersey and became successful members of American society.

It is a story of energy, strong convictions and impressive hardiness; of struggle and success in the New World; of devotion to religion, family and the rule of law.

It is a story of epic qualities, based on a solid work ethic and a powerful sense of justice.

It is a story shared by the many who immigrated to this country – because of hunger, ambition, adventure or opportunity. It is a story of the Italian-American experience in New Jersey.

A Legacy of Achievement is a special half-hour documentary produced in high-definition television by NJN's Emmy award-winning production team of Lou Presti, co-producer; Bob Szuter, screenwriter; and Jeff Reisly, Avid editor.

Barrett Clark is the narrator; the original music was created by Robert Sands. The co-producer from The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation is Robert A. Freda, Ed.D. A Legacy of Achievement is web streamed and archived on the NJN web site at njn.net.

The documentary can be seen on cable stations throughout New Jersey, on NJN's JerseyVision and on Time Warner Cable on channel 750 in New York. Funding for this program has been arranged by The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation. The program is closed captioned.

NJN is interested in your legacy - your family - your roots. You are New Jersey , rich with ethnicity and culture, determination and history. NJN wants photos that show what it was like to start a new life in a new country: the promises and the dreams; the struggles and the successes.

Send us your photos (copies only - do not send originals - no photos will be returned) or electronic images of your family's new life in America - whether it was yesterday or turn of the century - for inclusion in the NJN family album on our web site. Electronic images can be emailed to afisher@njn.org .

10.04.2005

On Friday, Sept. 30, we enjoyed a terrific performance by Broadway Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell in Love/Life at the Wilkins Theatre at Kean University, Union, N.J.We paid for our tickets as this was no perk of writing a blog, and enjoyed ourselves just the same.

We were fortunate that the two seats in front of us were vacant all night and gave us a clear view of the stage.

We had already seen Mitchell perform on Broadway in Ragtime and had a good idea what we were in for. We were delighted with each succeeding song.

He sang songs from across the past century and then some songs that have hit written all over them but are now waiting for the musical vehicle.

For his final encore, Mitchell sang The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha and of course all the hearts in the place were aflutter.

I wanted to hit REPLAY and watch the show again, but, alas, it was live and in person. A kind young woman at the box office where we picked up our tickets at about 5:30 - ahead of the rush, suggested - after we asked - that we visit Tiffany for dinner. She wrote out directions, and voila! A terrific meal at a very nice bar-restaurant somewhere on or near Vaux Haul Road in what was probably Union, N.J.

We took the Garden State Parkway south around rush hour. It was fun.

When we pulled in to the campus to park, we had selected the wrong entrance, but a student/teacher gave us directions to get to the theater just a little bit down the road.

Frankly, I don't miss driving on the Parkway, or the Parkway tokens which it said we could use two of now that the tolls in some areas are collected in only one direction.

And I wouldn't let some nuisance tolls keep me from seeing a great show. Neither should you.

10.02.2005

He didn't win for tail wagging ... someDachshund with a shorter tail won. The dog won last year and was defending champ!

Zam missed out on purebreed too.

But we put him in the Fastest Eater Contest and he won ... a toy like a dragon skull with an opening where you can put a cookie or peanut butter for HOURS of fun. He won a Hartz At Play Dog Toy - Joet pour Chiens, it was callad Chew-Rassic Bark Bronto Bone.Here's where those French lessons a few postings back come in handy. According to the package on Zam's prize: Comble Le Gout De Macher Et De Jouer Le Plus Irresistible

Their translation: Satisfies even the most monstrous appetite for chew and play.

So, we kept waiting for the 50 50 so we could leave. I got $6 worth of tickets and the drawing was supposed to be at 10:45 ... but they were running late and I wanted to go home and use the indoor plumbing.

So they start to get ready to call the 50 50 - but then they add secondary door prizes ... an aquarium, a beginner obstacle course for your dog.

C'mon. Call the number so we can go home. They were being heckled by Junior Women, in a nice way, but heckled nonetheless.

So they finally call the 50 50 and I had the number. I left Ma with Zamboni and walked up to claim my prize.

I handed all my tickets but they called me back to give me the tickets for the other prizes - as if lightning would strike twice. I took them, but handed them to someone who was waiting for the drawing.